Gaṇapati Kalpa

Gaṇapati Kalpa · gaṇapati-kalpa, “the rite of Gaṇapati”

The Gaṇapati Kalpa is the rite of Bhagavān Gaṇapati taught in the Caturthī Kalpa of the Bhavishya Purāṇa (Brahma Parva, Chapters 29–30). Śatānīka asks Sumantu Muni for the pūjā-vidhi of the mahātmā Gaṇeśvara, the Devatā of the letter ga, with its aṅgas and mantras, and Sumantu teaches it. For the pūjā of Vināyaka, he says, there is no special tithi, no special nakshatra and no rule of upavāsa (fasting): done freely at any time, the desired wish is fulfilled.

The Kalpa gives a mūrti of the root of the white arka, with four arms and three eyes, a serpent as yajñopavīta and the digit of Candra on the crest. It gives the pūjā with red flowers and laḍḍukas, a meal first given to a short, dwarfish brāhmaṇa, the mūla-mantra oṃ gaṃ svāhā, the mantras of the aṅgas and the upacāras, the homa of the eight directions with the Gaṇapati Gāyatrī, and the eleven names for offering havis. It then teaches prayogas, rites for a set purpose, that bring others under one’s sway and overcome enemies, and twelve images of Gaṇapati made of twelve materials. The close says that for one who worships Vighneśvara, Ekadanta, the son of Pārvatī, obstacles perish, and when Gaṇeśa is satisfied, the pitṛs, the devatās and all beings are satisfied.

The mūrti of Gaṇapati

The root of the white arka is brought, and from it a Gaṇapati is made, seated in padmāsana, of the measure of the thumb-joint. The learned man makes him with:

• four arms and three eyes;
• various ornaments;
• a serpent as yajñopavīta;
• the digit of Candra on his head-crest;
• the tusk in the left hand;
• the japamālā in the right hand;
• the paraśu in the third hand;
• the laḍḍuka in the fourth hand.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 29

The pūjā

Kuṅkuma mixed with candana is called samālambhana. Gaṇanāyaka is worshipped with this samālambhana, with garments and ornaments, and with red flowers. Fragrant dhūpa and laḍḍukas are offered.

Before this pūjā a brāhmaṇa must be given food: a short, dwarfish brāhmaṇa. By his blessing siddhi (accomplishment) comes.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 29

The mantras

“Best of the Kuru line,” says Sumantu, “I tell the mantra-padas. Listen with bhakti.”

The mūla-mantra:

ॐ गं स्वाहा

oṃ gaṃ svāhā

The aṅga-mantras:

The āvāhana mantra is āgaccha ulkāmukhāya. Among the upacāra mantras, gaṃ gaṇeśāya namaḥ is for gandha, dhūpolkāya namaḥ for dhūpa, dīpolkāya namaḥ for dīpa and oṃ gaṃ maholkāya namaḥ for bali. There are mantras also for the flowers and for the visarjana.

The homa of the eight directions. The homa is offered in the eight directions with svāhā. To the east goes the Gaṇapati Gāyatrī:

ॐ महाकर्णाय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात्

oṃ mahākarṇāya vidmahe vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi tanno dantiḥ pracodayāt

We know Mahākarṇa, the great-eared; we meditate on Vakratuṇḍa, the one of the curved trunk; may the tusked one impel us.

The mantras of the other directions name Mahāgaṇapati to the south, Maholka to the west, Kūśmāṇḍa to the north, and Ekadanta Tripurāntaka to the south-east. To the south-west the mantra is oṃ śivadatta vikaṭahara hāsaprāṇāya svāhā.

Saying huṃ phaṭ huṃ phaṭ, one should clap the hands, laugh and dance. Showing the mudrā of Gaṇapati Deva who dances in many ways, one should then perform homa, and the devatā who gives everything comes under one’s power.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 29

Prayogas with homa

Sumantu Muni teaches these rites, each with its fruit:

• Black sesame, eight thousand āhutis: in three nights the king comes under one’s power.
• Sesame and barley in homa: all the people of the country come under one’s power, and a very beautiful kanyā follows after him as he goes.
• Chickpeas and rice in homa: he becomes durjaya, hard to defeat.
• Neem leaves and all kinds of oil in homa: it causes vidveshaṇa (enmity among those it is aimed at).
• Śukla paksha caturthī: keep upavāsa, do pūjā with gandha, flowers and the rest, and offer sesame and rice in homa. If one bears them on the head one becomes undefeated.
• Samidhs of uttareṇi: kindle the fire with them and offer twenty-one āhutis. Within three nights he destroys the enemy.

Two rites of japa are told with these. At the time of a candra-grahaṇa, one goes down into water and does japa eight thousand times, and he becomes undefeated in war. And facing Sūrya one does eight thousand japa of the mantra oṃ lambarājai namaḥ, and Bhagavān Sūrya grants a vara (a boon).

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 29

Prayogas with the mantra

“Now I shall explain the mantra,” Sumantu says.

• Collyrium: take the collyrium from the root of a tree, consecrate it seven times with the mantra and apply it to the eyes. Whomever he looks at comes under his power.
• Flower, fruit or root: consecrate it by eight thousand japa of the mantra. Whomever it is given to comes under one’s power.
• The mūla-mantra: even a little japa gives siddhi, and all the grahas become pleased.
• At the city gate: going to the city gate, one does eight thousand japa and marks out eight thousand gates. By each gate that city comes under one’s power.
• Facing east: one who performs yajana facing east can do uccāṭana (driving away). Doing japa facing the thief, he can put thieves to flight. He can have grass cut, can make wood break, and can make an elephant fight.
• In the midst of water: one does japa for seven nights. He makes it rain out of season, dries up wells and tanks, makes a doll dance, does ākarshaṇa (drawing) and stambhana (making still), and draws men and women from a distance of one hundred yojanas.
• Gorocana: consecrate gorocana one thousand times and tie it on the hand. He goes a lakh of yojanas and comes back.
• Mārana: the chapter also teaches a rite for causing death. One who wishes it prepares a peg of caṇḍra wood, thinks of the woman or man concerned, and drives this peg into that person’s heart. The text’s own bracket says this is to be imagined in the mind. That person dies in a moment.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 29

The eleven havirdāna mantras

These are the mantras for offering havis to Gaṇapati, each with oṃ before it and svāhā after it, as in oṃ vakratuṇḍāya svāhā:

1. Vakratuṇḍa, of the curved trunk.
2. Ekadaṃshṭra, of the one tusk.
3. Kṛtakṛshṇa.
4. Gajakarṇa, of the elephant’s ears.
5. Lambodara, of the hanging belly.
6. Vikaṭa, the formidable.
7. Dhūmravarṇa, of smoke colour.
8. Gaganakūja.
9. Vināyaka.
10. Gaṇapati, master of the gaṇas.
11. Hastimukha, of the elephant’s face.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 29

The twelve images of Gaṇapati

Chapter 30, headed the rule of Vināyaka pūjā, continues in the words of Sumantu Muni. It gives twelve images of Gaṇapati, each about the size of a thumb or of the joint of a thumb, in this order.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 30

The mantras of Chapter 30

The mālā-mantra. The mālā-mantra of Gaṇapati calls him, in order: Gaṇapati; Vakratuṇḍa; Gajadanta, of the elephant tusk; the one who sounds “gula gula”; Caturbhuja, of four arms; Trinetra, of three eyes; the one holding the musala, pāśa and vajra in his hands; subduer of all beings; bringer of all the worlds under sway; crusher of all enemies. It closes with the words “strike, strike; cook, cook; with the vajra and aṅkuśa, O Gaṇeśa, phaṭ svāhā.”

The heart of the mūla-mantra:

ॐ गं गीं गूं गैं गौं गः स्वाहा नमः

oṃ gaṃ gīṃ gūṃ gaiṃ gauṃ gaḥ svāhā namaḥ

The āvāhana-aṅgas of the heart: oṃ kaḥ śiraḥ, oṃ khaḥ śikhā, oṃ gaḥ hṛdayam, oṃ guḥ vakram, oṃ gaiṃ netram, oṃ ghaḥ kavacam, oṃ jaṃ āvāhanam.

The upacāra. Oṃ gandholkāya svāhā is the mantra for gandha.

The eight directions:

The Gaṇapati Gāyatrī:

ॐ महागणपतये विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात्

oṃ mahāgaṇapataye vidmahe vakratuṇḍāya dhīmahi tanno dantiḥ pracodayāt

The eight mudrās. They are Padma, Daṃshṭrā, Mālā, Prakarshaṇī, Paraśu, Aṅkuśa, Pāśa and Paṭaha. These eight are shown, and only then are the rites done. From āvāhana to naivedya, eleven mudrās are shown in order.

Eight thousand āhutis with black sesame bring the king under one’s sway.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 30

The greatness of Gaṇapati pūjā

The rule by which Hara, the three-eyed bearer of the śūla, is to be worshipped is the very rule by which Gaṇapati, Vighneśvara, is to be worshipped. The maṇḍala is the same, the aṅganyāsa is the same, the mantras in the pūjā are the same. Everything is alike.

For one who worships Vighneśvara, Ekadanta, the son of Pārvatī, obstacles perish, and at no time does anything inauspicious come. One who fasts on caturthī and worships Gaṇapati accomplishes all his works. For one who has received the grace of Vighneśvara, the whole world is favourable in all his works.

So, full of bhakti and śraddhā, one should worship Gaṇapati with kuṅkuma, aguru dhūpa, a food of round dumplings, sesame flour, āmalaka fruit, dhattūra flowers and the like. One should worship by this rule on śukla paksha caturthī. For one who worships so, all works are accomplished without obstacle.

When Gaṇeśa, Ekadanta and Jagannātha, is satisfied, the pitṛ devatās, the devatās and all beings beginning with humans are satisfied. Therefore one should always worship him with bhakti, with laḍḍuvas and the like.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 30

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 29–30